THRILL Quintet: Trial
by Lady Monozuki
Summary: Everything is against him. He never imagined the day where he would be alone, trying to prove himself on a different level. What he doesn’t know is that someone is trying to help. So why does help hurt so much? Starts off Pillar, eventual Thrill.
1. Chapter One: Beginning

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT.**

Description: Everything is against him. He never imagined the day where he would be alone, trying to prove himself on a different level. What he doesn't know is that someone is trying to help. So why does help hurt so much? Starts off Pillar pair, eventual Thrill pair.

Lady Monozuki: Well, this is one of my new multi-chaptered fics. It's nothing like my one-shots, which are more "humorous". In spite of that, I hope you enjoy!

_Chapter One: Beginning_

Fuji always took pride in being one of the most observant people on the team. He knew that from the beginning, their newest addition to the Regulars held an unknown attraction to toward their captain. Everything from his body language to the way he talked to the captain was an indicator. You didn't have to be a genius to pick out that the younger person was flirting. The sight often brought him amusement. After all, you had an awkward twelve-year-old tennis player trying to seduce an expressionless buchou.

He couldn't laugh completely. Somewhere along the line, Tezuka had fallen for the younger prodigy. In spite of their feelings for each other, the two of them danced around each other for three years. At times, he wanted to lock them in a closet until they told each other their feelings. There were other times where he wanted them to stay apart. He never did understand why he felt that way, until recently.

Not too long after Echizen entered high school, Tezuka finally confessed his feelings. They started going out as a couple, making him happy and depressed at the same time. He brushed off his depression, telling himself that it was because someone mad him mad that day. However even after they got together, the two of them kept their relationship a secret.

He found their entire relationship amusing. No one else on the team would guess that their usually stoic captain and brattiest player would get together. He had to admit that the idea sounded a funny. In addition, there were never any indications of them actually going out. They never displayed public affection and they always addressed each other by "buchou" and "Echizen". They seemed distant at times, but he could imagine their relationship being strong. In spite of their personalities, they both cared about their relationships with other people deeply.

_Well, Tezuka more than Echizen._

Every time he saw them exchange glances, he felt his heart ache. At first, he brushed it off as loneliness. After all, most people want someone who will stay by their side despite situations. Then he slowly came to realize that he was in love with his best friend's boyfriend. As much as that pained him to admit, he could not deny his feelings. Slowly, he started hanging around Echizen more, planting a support system in case something went wrong. He knew that he shouldn't do so, but he was never one to ignore his feelings. He watched as the couple left the tennis clubhouse together, hands linked and looking pleased.

A frown formed on his face. His chest tightened at the sight. He reminded himself once more that Echizen belonged to Tezuka and that he had no right to interfere with their relationship. With a sigh, he walked away from his hiding spot. Even with these constant reminders, he did not know how long he could keep denying his feelings.

A yellow ball bounced toward him and he returned them based off of instinct more than anything. His head hurt from dealing with annoying fan girls, his father, and the frustration that he could not remember what had happened last night. With a frown, he hit the ball harder than he meant to, causing it to go out.

"Thirty-fifteen," Oishi called out.

"Nya, Ochibi's not concentrating on the game!" he heard from the sidelines.

The consistent chatter from the sidelines and the noises on the courts made his head ache all the worse. Echizen bounced the ball against the ground, trying to get his head in the game. He needed to score three more times to end the game. If he asked nicely, he was sure that Tezuka would let him sleep in the clubroom. Today he felt unsettled for an odd reason. He couldn't say why, but somehow he imagined that his day would only get worse.

He tossed the ball in the air and prepared to do a twist serve. However, a wave of dizziness washed over him, causing him to miss the ball. That alone brought the silence that he had been wishing for since he had walked on the court. His vision blurred for a few seconds and he felt himself feeling faint. He blinked furiously, he would _not_ walk off this court without having completed the match. A scowl formed on his lips and he retrieved the ball.

"Ne, let's continue," he said. The chatter instantly picked up. He tossed a glance at Kunimitsu. As he had suspected, his boyfriend had not believed that he missed the shot just because he felt like it. If he wanted to take that nap in the clubhouse later, he would need to do a lot of explaining first. And even then, there was a chance that the captain would refuse. A sigh escaped his lips as he bounced the ball once more. He used a high-speed serve, causing his opponent to blink in surprise.

Obviously they had been preparing to receive a twist serve. He preferred to mix things up a little.

"T-thirty-all," Oishi said after a few seconds. He started to bounce another ball. Noting the position of the other player, he could see that he was still expecting the twist serve.

_Mada mada dane._

He tossed the ball in the air and made contact with his racquet. At the same time, another bout of dizziness washed over him, making the shot weaker than he had meant. The other player caught up to it easily. He cursed softly before making a hasty return. After a pushing himself until he just about passed out, he scored the point. He took out another ball and started to bounce it against the court. His hands shook as he did so.

_What the hell?_

He had been experiencing on-and-off dizziness all day, but it hadn't acted up during tennis practice—until now. He noticed that his breathing was heavier, much more than it should from having to run to opposite sides of the courts.

_Just one more point and you can be done._

He tossed the ball in the air and served.

-◊-

Tezuka felt himself twitch when Ryoma had first missed the ball. He had wanted to call off the match right then because he knew something was wrong. The freshman would never admit that, but he knew. After he saw that glance, his thoughts were confirmed. Something was bothering his boyfriend. It explained why he was more anti-social than usual and even forgot to meet him up on the roof. Of course, he did not make a big deal about it. He figured that something had prevented him from coming and didn't press the issue.

Ryoma's movements were getting more lazy and he _knew_ that his boyfriend was having a hard time playing. Has much as he wanted to call off the match, he could already imagine how his boyfriend would respond to that. He did not want to have to deal with his boyfriend being mad at him because he interfered with one match. He did reconsider when he saw the next serve. The power was no longer there. He could see every strained movement.

Something was very wrong indeed. These shots were not hard in comparison to some of the ones he knew the prodigy had gone against. So why was his boyfriend having a hard time? He didn't know. He tore his glance away from the game for one second, looking at the Regulars. All of them had fixated their stares at the court. He doubted any of them could believe what they were seeing. Not that he could blame them, he was even doubting his own eyes.

At the call of forty-thirty, he hoped that his boyfriend would make it through this last point so he could pull him aside. His gaze returned the prodigy, whose face looked just as confused as he felt. Ryoma tossed the ball into the air. His racquet made contact with the ball, yes. However, they weren't watching the match anymore. He instantly moved as soon as he saw the legs start to fall.

"Echizen!" he shouted. He didn't hear the others that had shouted along with him.

The other Regulars had moved to not long after him. He stretched out an arm to catch the prodigy and managed to do so in time. His heart was racing faster than he ever thought possible. The sweat-covered body in his arms was breathing, that at least made one of his fears go away. However, he wanted to know why the freshman had fainted in the first place. Oishi placed a hand on Echizen's forehead and shook his head.

"He's not running a fever," he stated. "Maybe he's sick from something else. There are a lot of things that he could pass out from. However, we should get him to the nurse's office sooner rather than later."

Tezuka nodded, but found it hard to move. He caught glance at the tensai, noting that the other's eyes were open. In that moment, he saw something that he had long suspected. Although it was barely noticeable, he saw the jealousy.

_I'll deal with that later._

The body in his arms twitched.

-◊-

_He remembered rain falling on his face, but he felt too numb to get up. He didn't know where he was or even how he got there. Everything from that afternoon was blurry. A bright light caused his head to hurt. He flinched, but then looked in the direction of the light. A man looked down at him, a scowl formed on the other's face._

"_Oi gaki, what are you doing out here? Do you have any idea what time it is? I thought I told you to be—"_

_The complaints stopped there. The other man's eyes widened at something. It took him a while to remember the name. Without another word, the person picked him up and pulled him into the house._

"_What happened?" the other man whispered in a low voice._

_He remembered. "Oyaji," he croaked. Why was his voice so hoarse?_

"_What did you do? Is that yours or someone else's?" Echizen Nanjirou demanded._

_He frowned and then looked at the front of his clothes. His eyes widened._

Oh god, what had happened?

-◊-

He jolted awake after remembering that piece. His breathing was more ragged than before and he wondered why. A shiver ran down his spine as he felt several people staring at him. He looked up to see numerous pairs of eyes on him. Feeling uncomfortable, he leaned into the person who was holding him.

_Wait!_

Ryoma looked at the person who was holding him in their arms. A sigh of relief almost came out when he saw that it was Kunimitsu. His relief was short-lived when he realized exactly what had happened. A frown formed on his face and he closed his eyes. He didn't need to deal with this.

"Are you all right?" his boyfriend asked.

He opened his mouth to respond. However, the words never came out. He noticed how badly he was shaking. No wonder his boyfriend was worried. He tried to remember the images that had played while he was unconscious for the brief moment. His head throbbed even more.

"I don't know," he muttered.

_I don't know what is going on._

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter Two: Trouble

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.**

Lady Monozuki: Thank you everyone for the reviews and encouragement. I really appreciate it! I apologize for not getting this chapter out on time. Life loves working against me and I didn't get the chance to write this until today. I do apologize.

_Chapter Two: Trouble_

He sighed and turned in the bed again. After since he passed out on the courts, his boyfriend called his house and surprisingly; his father came to pick him up. His head still ached and there were bouts of dizziness that kept him in bed. What worried him the most was that his father was acting like a real parents. After turning once more, he decided to give up on sleeping. His head was preventing him from getting any. He had originally intended to sleep it off, but that proved to be impossible.

_Something happened…._

With that thought, sleep finally claimed him.

-◊-

The next time he awoke, his body felt better than it had been. Though he still had a slight headache, he attributed that toward his baka oyaji for banging on several pots to get him up. He dressed for the morning and went down for breakfast. His cousin had prepared a feast mixed with his favorite Japanese foods and some western dishes. He picked through his meal and gave brief answers to his mother's and cousin's inquiries. He did not feel like talking to anyone. Ryoma did notice that they were giving him an odd stare. He slipped on his shoes and grabbed his tennis gear before heading out the door.

He stared for a moment and wondered why his sempai wasn't waiting for him already. He guessed that he was running late and started to head in the direction of the school. A few of the neighbors waved him good-bye, but he ignored them—as usual. He rounded a corner and stopped when he saw a shadow. He looked up to see his boyfriend. He blinked.

_Wait, shouldn't he be at the clubhouse all ready? What's he doing here?_

Without saying anything, his boyfriend pulled him in for a hug. Ryoma was shocked by the sudden display of affection.

"Gomen Kunimitsu, I worried you again."

"Are you feeling better?"

"Hai, I'll be fine." He frowned. Did his boyfriend come all of this way just to ask if he was doing okay?

_Did Kunimitsu really give up opening clubhouse just for that?_

"Ne, what time is it?" he asked.

"A quarter to six, why?"

Ah, so that's why his family gave him such odd looks. "Shall we head to practice?"

His boyfriend nodded and they headed in the direction of Seigaku. They arrived at the tennis courts earlier than he preferred. However, he did not complain because that meant he got to spend some time alone with Kunimitsu before practice. Silence, however, reigned in the clubhouse. Even though he did not know what was on his boyfriend's mind, he could sense that there was something troubling the older teen. He frowned. He had not imagined their time alone going like this at all.

"Kuni, are you all okay?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm thinking."

"About what?" he pressed. While both of the liked the quiet, he figured that his boyfriend would have more to say—especially after what happened yesterday. He reached out and grabbed Kunimitsu's hand, giving it a small squeeze, while silently conveying his message. He would be there when his boyfriend felt like talking. They stayed like that for a moment before dressing for practice. Their alone time would be over soon anyway. He tied his shoes before staring at the wall. If he went out there now, there wouldn't be anyone to practice with as his boyfriend still had other things to attend to before club officially started.

Lips pressed against his forehead. He leaned up to give his boyfriend a light kiss. The slamming of the door made them jump. He pushed Kunimitsu away and turned to see Fuji and Oishi in the locker room. He scowled and tried to give them a death glare, but the blush on his face ruined his effect. Fuji looked amused at his attempt though, while Oishi seemed to be in a state of shock.

_They have the worst timing ever._

"Saa, looks like we were interrupting something important. Gomen you two," Fuji said in a sickly-sweet voice. Ryoma frowned. As sweet as it sounded, he detected a hint of anger in there as well. At that sentence, the mother-hen fuku-buchou blushed. Obviously, they had seen the whole interaction between him and Tezuka. He turned his attention to his racquet, trying to take his mind off the tension in the air.

"A-ah, I'll go o-open the equipment ro-room while you finish!" Oishi stammered. The mother-hen made a quick exit.

"You're lucky he didn't see the second kiss," Fuji said in an amused voice.

"Fuji," Tezuka said in a harsh voice. Ryoma stared at his boyfriend. What was up with the serious tone?

"I'm going to run some light drills," he announced. Whatever the reason, he did not want to get caught in the middle of it.

-◊-

He noticed that Tezuka and Fuji were giving each other the cold shoulder after he had left them in the locker room. He frowned because it was odd to see those two treating each other indifferently. He was so used to Fuji torturing Kunimitsu and his boyfriend tolerating everything the tensai did. They shot each other glares from the other side of the court, a few times he caught them staring at him. That made him uncomfortable. It wasn't bad enough that his boyfriend and friend were treating each other like enemies, but somehow he had ended up in the middle of their battle as well. He wished that practice would be over soon so that he could sleep off the headache starting to form during his classes.

He caught Fuji staring at him once again. Ryoma then looked at his boyfriend; a glare was pointed at the tensai until Kunimitsu caught his questioning glance. His boyfriend simply turned away from him. Now he was convinced that what was going on between the two of them was because of him. He started to move over to his boyfriend to ask him what was going on, but was stopped when a hand rested on his shoulder. He looked up to see Fuji with a strained smile on his face.

"Don't worry about me and Tezuka. We just had a minor disagreement," he said in a gentle voice.

"About what?"

The tensai didn't answer. Instead, he back away. Ryoma almost went after him to get some answers, but didn't when he heard footsteps behind him. A hand grabbed his own and pulled him to the side of the courts. Ryoma didn't need to know who had grabbed his hand. He knew that familiar grip anywhere. He frowned at the treatment.

"What's going on?" he snapped.

"What did he say to you?" his boyfriend asked.

"He just told me that you two got into a fight," he answered in a harsh tone. "Now answer my question. What's going on between you two?"

"Nothing, don't concern yourself with this."

He scowled at that response. "_Tezuka-buchou," _he said in a cold voice_, "_it is my business when you two are sending each other looks that could murder each other. Fuji's opened his eyes so many times today that the freshmen are scared to get in the same court as him! Now tell me what you two are arguing about!"

His boyfriend squeezed his hand and sighed. He waited for an answer, but that didn't come. He had never been a patient person and this was getting to be ridiculous.

"Buchou, if you keep holding my hand, the club is going to come up with rumors."

The stoic captain released his hand. "We were fighting over you. I've been afraid of losing you and when you fainted, I realized that Fuji might take you away from me."

He blinked. Then the whole reason for their childish behavior was because of his boyfriend's insecurity?

"Baka," he mumbled. "I wouldn't leave you for Fuji." A look of relief spread across his boyfriend's face. "Ne Kunimitsu, would you ever leave me for someone else?"

"Never," he boyfriend replied. "I would never give you up."

Ryoma wanted to give Kunimitsu a kiss for saying that, but didn't when he remembered their surroundings. He gave a small smile.

"I'll reward you later," he mumbled. With that, he went to find Momo to do a practice match. He found his friend competing against Kaidoh in doing their warm-ups. They had one more lap to go from the looks of it and they were still arguing about who was better. He waited for them to be done before interrupting their rivalry.

"Ne Momo-sempai, play a match against me," he said.

"Oh? Have you found a way to counter my new smash?"

He walked on to the court. "Mada mada dane, Momo-sempai." The junior followed him after picking up his racquet.

"Brat, what type of answer is that?"

"Which?" Ryoma asked.

"Smooth," Momo said. He spun the racquet and it clattered to the ground with the R facing upward. "Service."

With that, they marched off to their respective sides of the court. He prepared himself to receive his friend's serve. The ball bounced toward him and he returned with a front hand. A rally took place, he was testing the strength of his sempai today and didn't want to use too many moves or else it would end too quickly. The shots were starting to become stronger and Momo used a jackknife to try and score a point. He used both hands to return the shot so he wouldn't overburden any one wrist. They continued to hit the ball back and forth.

"What's the matter, you're not going to use any moves today? We both know that you love to show off."

"Che," he said. "Why don't you focus on scoring instead?"

He switched alternately between his right and left hands so to prevent any chance balls. He didn't want to deal with Momo's-ridiculously-long-named-and-stupid-sounding smash just yet. The shots started to become heavier, he was certain that this was because his sempai had been trying to draw out his skills.

"Have you gotten weaker, sempai? It's taking you a long time to score," he taunted.

"You're not scoring either, brat!"

"But I'm not using a jackknife," he stated.

He hit a drop shot, catching the junior off-guard and scoring the first point of the game. He smirked.

"Let's get serious then, Momo-sempai," he said. The ball bounced in front of him and he returned it. The rally continued until he hit a Drive B to score the second point. The familiar sounds of the game was enough to ease his mind about the events that had taken place and allowed him to relax. He accidently hit a chance ball, giving Momo a chance to score. He tapped his racquet against his shoulder. He'd rather not try to counter a ball that could make such a black mark on the court. The next time though, he made sure to score the point.

"Game Echizen, four games to two."

He blinked in surprise at the score. How long had they been playing? Oh well, at least he was winning. He waited for Momo to serve when a loud siren distracted him. He heard the tennis ball make contact with Momo's racquet. He turned his attention to the game and returned the ball with a precise shot to the opposite corner. Ryoma could hear the shouts of different people nearby. He tried to not let it irritate him, but for some reason his focus was less than usual. The other club members seemed to also be curious as to what was going on.

"Minna, get back to work!" Tezuka shouted.

Everyone tried to do as he said, but the shouting became louder. Soon they say four people in police uniforms approach the court along with Ryuuzaki-sensei and the principal. Ryoma tore his gaze away from them and turned it back to his match. Momo, unfortunately, was distracted with what was happening with the police. He sighed.

"Gentlemen, can't this affair wait until after our practice is over?" Ryuuzaki-sensei tried.

"No, we are here to take him into custody," one of the officers snapped. Ryoma frowned. What were they doing here? Any who did they want to take into custody? The gaze of the officer fell upon him; he turned his attention away from him. He heard them whisper amongst themselves for a few seconds before starting to walk across the courts. They approached him, his stomach churned.

_This is not good._

"Echizen Ryoma, we're here to take you into custody."

_To be continued…_


	3. Chapter Three: Condition

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis**

Lady Monozuki: Thank you everyone for the reviews. Hopefully this chapter will clear a few things up for you. Anyway, today is my birthday so as a gift to everyone, I updated. Please enjoy and leave a review, it will make my day a million times better.

_Chapter Three: Condition_

Nothing would have ever prepared him for what he had heard. In fact, he would have like to think that they were joking, but he could tell that the men in front of him were not joking around. Silence had reigned for what felt like forever; even _Horio_ couldn't find anything to say. He started to shake, his mind was trying to process the information he had just received. Ryoma did not know what to do in that situation. One of the officers pried the tennis racquet out of his hand and placed handcuffs on him. He looked at Kunimitsu for _something_. His boyfriend looked just as distressed as he felt. Ryoma wanted to ask if this was a joke, but it all seemed so real.

His mind was blank all throughout the car ride to the prison. He started at the prison. He could not think of anything that he had done that would get him sent to a _prison_. They led him inside the building and didn't say anything. They had the right to hold him for up to three days without a reason, he hoped that this would all turn out to be a huge misunderstanding in their behalf, that or a bad prank on his father's part. Then it sunk in, he was going to prison. They had brought him to a place that he had only heard about and had never thought of seeing ever in his life.

_Wait, don't they send juveniles to a family court before sending them to a prison?_

He was scared now. Whatever he did, it was far more than he would have originally thought. He continued to tremble and they brought him to an empty prison cell. He wondered why this one in particular was empty considering it was hardly common knowledge Japan was running out of jail space. They pushed him inside roughly and closed the door behind him. He didn't know what to do. He wondered if his family would even know of him being in jail.

_Kunimitsu would tell them, he would let them know that I'm in prison. I've just got to wait for them to come clear everything up._

He went over to the dirty mattress on the ground and frowned. He was positive the thing had not been cleaned since it had gotten there and that disgusted him. However, the floor did not look much better so he sat on the bed. He hoped that this would be resolved soon so that he could get out of there.

-◊-

Tezuka couldn't think after he had watched four officers escort his boyfriend off campus. He had never thought of Ryoma as one to get into any serious trouble with the law. The fact that there were _four_ officers there spoke volumes as to how severe his boyfriend's crime must be. He frowned. He didn't even know if his boyfriend was guilt. The principal dismissed everyone from school that day because no one would be able to concentrate on their studies, the gossip would detour from the classroom studies. He was currently on his way home and lost in thought. He didn't know what to make of everything that had happened that day. Everything had gone from good to worse.

_Did Ryoma pass out because of the stress he was under? Did he know that the police were coming after him? No, he seemed just as shocked as everyone else when they arrested him._

He berated himself. He should not doubt his boyfriend, _ever._ But this time around, it was hard to not let those thoughts in since getting arrested was frowned up highly in Japan. He wanted to believe that his boyfriend would never do anything of the sort and that's why he needed confirmation. He needed to know what was happening. He paused.

Ryoma's parents, they wouldn't know about his being arrested. He felt certain that they would want to know about their son's location. He changed direction and headed toward their house. Tezuka had to get Ryoma help as soon as possible. He knew that his mom was a lawyer and that she might be able to help her son, but what if that was not enough? Depending on the crime, Ryoma could very well be there for the rest of his life. That is why he needed information. At every thought, he quickened his pace. The sense of urgency had never been this strong before and he wanted to help Ryoma as soon as possible.

His mind tried to piece together everything that had happened, all he could think about was Ryoma getting arrested. He did not notice a black limousine approaching and he crossed the street. The car slammed on its brakes to avoid hitting him, but he didn't mind. All he heard was a voice yelling at him. He ignored it even though he faintly recognized the person speaking. A hand grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop. He tried to yank out his arm without seeing who was grabbing him.

"Ore-sama demands that you stop struggling, Tezuka!" he heard.

He stopped and spun around to see Atobe Keigo of all people. He blinked.

"I'm in a hurry," Tezuka said in a harsher voice than he meant to.

"Don't speak to Ore-sama with such a tone! You should be grateful my driver did not hit you and that Ore-sama is willing to give you a ride to where you need to go in spite of everything. You should be awed by my generosity."

He stared down the street and saw that Ryoma's house was just two doors down. It would be ridiculous to tell Atobe to drive him there. He shook his head.

"No, I have other things to attend to."

"Like going to see your boyfriend?" Atobe asked. "Come in, I'll give you a ride to his house."

"His house is just two doors down," Tezuka said. Atobe frowned.

"You want to walk when Ore-sama has offered you a ride? Ore-sama shall never understand peasants."

"What are you doing here, Atobe?"

"Ore-sama had some business in the area to take care of since Ore-sama heard of the brat's arrest."

Tezuka's eyes widened. How had Atobe heard of Ryoma's arrest before Echizen's parents? He remained still as if expecting Atobe to explain what he meant by those words.

"Yes, I know of the brat's arrest since one of Ore-sama's personal guards witnessed what happened."

"We need to talk to Ryoma' parents about this," Tezuka said.

"That's where Ore-sama was going until you decided to run in front of Ore-sama's limousine. Ore-sama offered you a ride, but you refused."

Tezuka was never one to let his emotions get the best of him. However, today was one of those days where he would very much like to punch Atobe in the face for being ridiculous.

"I told you, he's house is two down from here and it would be easier to walk."

With that, he walked off and Atobe followed him.

"How dare you ignore Ore-sama when he is talking to you! Ore-sama has better things to do than to be ignored by peasants like you!"

Tezuka rolled his eyes and continued walking toward Ryoma's house and tried to ignore Atobe's "Ore-sama" rant. He had never been so frustrated with the diva before this. He only wanted to talk to Echizen's parents, not listen to Atobe talk about how much riches he had. He went up to the front of the house with Atobe in tow, still talking about how awesome he was or whatever.

"Atobe," he said before he knocked.

"And now you interrupted _my_ speech! How dare you—"

Atobe, we're in front of Ryoma's house," Tezuka said.

The diva stopped ranting and realized that indeed he had walked a grand total of two houses down to the front of Echizen's house. Tezuka wanted to laugh at how the stupid he looked, but kept his comment to himself in fear of listening to another rant. He did not have his migraine pills with him today and was all ready feeling the pressure building up behind his eyes. Maybe he ought to get his prescription checked out. He knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer it. The door slipped open and revealed Nanjiroh, in his usual monk outfit. Tezuka didn't need to say anything, Nanjiroh moved aside to let him in.

"Where's the brat?" he asked. "If you're out of school than he should be not too far behind and who's that behind you?"

Everything that he had rehearsed went out of the window. Of course, he didn't have much planned in the first place. He tried to collect his thoughts when he felt himself being pushed inside by the person behind him, Atobe.

"My name is Atobe Keigo and who, might I ask are you to not know Ore-sama's beautiful name?"

"Che, youths these days are so un-cute," Nanjiroh said. "I'll tell you my name if you can beat me in a game of tennis."

"Oh? You have not heard of my beautiful tennis skills either?"

"Echizen-san," Tezuka, finally realizing what was going on. "Ryoma was arrested this morning."

That diffused whatever was going to happen and even made Nanjiroh seem like a concerned parent for a moment. He waited for the response but there was nothing. Silence continued to ruin the mood as they waited for anything to happen.

"What was he arrested for?"

"Ore-sama came here to explain that. Ore-sama knows all the details of the case."

"You better start talking," Nanjiroh said. "Get inside and I'll make you something to drink."

"Make sure that is earl gray, Ore-sama only drinks fine teas."

"Shut up with your Ore-sama stuff," Nanjiroh said. "Go sit and I'll be right back."

Tezuka led Atobe to the living room and did waited in silence. Atobe, on the other hand refused to sit down in what he called "peasants chairs" and was all ready on the phone with someone to deliver him a suitable char. Tezuka did not feel like arguing. His mind was still stuck on the scene that had taken place this morning. He could not erased the shocked look on Ryoma's face and it was not one that he wanted to see _ever_ again. He tried to calm himself, but that was not happening very well. Eventually Nanjiroh came back with some tea, to which Atobe protested because it was not earl gray. Somehow, they had managed to settle down and were waiting for Atobe's chair to be delivered before they could start talking. By the time it arrived, it was late.

"Tell me what happened," Nanjiroh said.

"Well, Ore-sama knows that the brat was arrested because two nights ago he murdered two people. They are a part of drug ring that Ore-sama has been trying to track down for months because they stole some cash from a secret account that the Atobe's use for special projects. Ore-sama also knows that your son is not going to go to a family court, but before a regular court where he is going to be tried before them. Ore-sama is offering you help with this matter and I will leave the offer to you. Even with my help, Ore-sama is not sure if we can get him off. Tezuka, we should really be going. Ore-sama will drop you off at home."

Tezuka nodded and followed without questioning. He really did not know what else to do in this sort of situation. They stepped into Atobe's limousine and he looked out the window. The vehicle went far slower than he should like, but he was not going to complain since he would have had to walk home in normal circumstances.

"Tezuka," Atobe said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes Atobe?"

"Ore-sama can ensure that the brat gets out of prison."

"But earlier you said—"

"Ore-sama wasn't finished yet. Ore-sama knows what he said earlier, but Ore-sama will ensure that the brat gets out on one condition."

"What's that?" Tezuka asked.

"You break up with Echizen."

_To be continued…_

--

Notes: So I've done a lot of research on Japan and their judicial system and stuff. According to my research, the police can hold anyone up for up to three days without release, questioning, or even giving a reason as to why. In that time, they are not allowed to speak to anyone. Also, I mentioned a family court in here. If a juvenile is arrested, their crimes usually go to a family court and they spend time in a prison for youths. There are certain crimes, however, that send you straight to a prison and one of those is murder. I will be basing most of my prison off of Japan's system but will be throwing in some of America's system for plot purposes.

If any of this information is wrong, feel free to correct me.


	4. Chapter Four: Encounter

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis**

Lady Monozuki: I apologize for not getting this done on time. I had some unexpected issues come up and couldn't get much writing done. This chapter was supposed to be the last one, but the ended decided it wanted more time so next chapter is the last one. I hope you enjoy! Thank you everyone for the reviews!

_Chapter Four: Encounter_

Ryoma had never been more frightened in his life. There were times where he had gone against opponents that would be feared by most, but he had never been one to let them effect him. However, this time it was different. He was not on a tennis court this time and the rules were far different than any he even knew. There were several things that he could do and even more that he could not do. He was afraid to break the unspoken rules in fear of what the punishment would be. Perhaps one of the eerie things was that there was total silence in the cells. He could see several occupants, but none of them spoke. There were several guards around the area and each of them stared at the inmates as though they were the absolute scum of society. He especially hated it when one looked at him because he felt lower than dirt.

To be quite honest, he was certain that everyone here was convinced that he was a criminal. Behind these bars, he had noticed a lot of body language. It seemed that many of them preferred to speak silently so that those on guard would not notice what was going around. He had also noted that there was a lot of communication with the eyes. One thing he could not shake was that when one of the prisoners set eyes on him, he could feel the desire radiate from the other person. Ryoma shivered whenever he saw that man and made a mental note to stay away from them if they were ever allowed out of their cells. He did not want to have an encounter with that man in fear of what he might do to him. He stared at the wall. Everything had yet to settle in his mind. From his memory, he could not think of a single thing that he had done that was against the law.

In fact, he was quite certain that he had not done anything so bad to get him in this point. Of course, he could not remember the event that had taken place two nights ago. He remembered that tennis practice had ran late for the day but he did not remember making it home. All he had known was that he had woken up feeling as though someone had dragged him a mile tied to a truck. A sigh escaped his lips. The silence made him feel uncomfortable. He closed his eyes and tried to envision himself on a tennis court, hitting balls back and forth with a powerful opponent. He the match took far less time to visualize so he went through and tried to think of how he could improve his skills. He had wanted to upgrade some of his skills because he knew that they would not work against all of the pros in the tennis world. In comparison to them, he was mada mada. Of course, his father had already told him that. Even still, it made such a difference hearing it from someone who did not read porn magazines.

There were several different areas he had yet to venture to, several spins and returns that he had yet to dive into, and the thought excited him. The possibilities for tennis were seemingly endless and that was another reason why he was so attracted to the sport. He had managed to develop a large range of skills because of the many people he had played in tennis and enjoyed every match. Though several of them had frustrated him to no end. He had appreciated every match and would never forget them. His right hand started to twitch. He really needed to work on his strength in his right hand soon. However, he doubted that they would allow him to do so while he was in here. They seemed to be one that would not let him do anything because of what his crime was. Of course, he did not even know what he was in there for. He knew that there were very few things that would get a juvenile sent to this prison. He shook his head. Ryoma tried to focus his thoughts on something else.

-◊-

Tezuka blinked. He was not sure that he had heard the diva right. He replayed the conversation in his head to see if he could figure out what had just occurred. Her frowned when he realized that he _had_ heard right. He wanted to smack Atobe for even suggesting such a thing. Never would he break up with his boyfriend just because they were in prison. That would be far too shallow of him and he knew that Ryoma must be scared. He would too if the same had happened to him. No, what Atobe had just requested was out of the question. Entertaining the thought was even deplorable and he had no desire to do so.

"I refuse," he said in a flat tone. He did not want to even think of how hurt Ryoma would be if he did such a thing.

"Don't make up your mind right now, Tezuka. After all, your boyfriend is in prison. Everything could turn for the worse instead of the better. You never know in places like those," Atobe said.

"What are you implying?" he asked.

"Nothing," Atobe said with a shrug. "Ore-sama is merely stating that there are far too many people who would target people like your boyfriend because he is cute and extremely _desirable_."

His temper flared. He did not appreciate _anyone_ talking about his boyfriend like that. He opened his mouth to say something in a retort when he felt the limo jerk to a halt. He had to grab on to the nearest solid object to keep himself from falling.

"Ore-sama orders you to consider his offer, good night, Tezuka."

"My answer will be the same, Atobe. However, I appreciate you giving me a ride."

With that, he opened the door and got out. To think that Atobe would even offer him such a thing repulsed him! He slammed the door in his anger, something that he had not done in quite some time because he considered it childish. He rubbed his temples and thought about apologizing. The stress was getting to him. There were so many things that could go wrong or could happen that he had a headache from even thinking about them. Now that Atobe had put another thought into his mind, he was in an even fouler mood. No doubt his family would notice and they would try to press him for details. He wasn't sure he could handle that conversation at the moment. He walked went to the front of his house and just stayed there. Right now, he need some time alone and perhaps to hit a few balls. While he would rather go to a tennis court and play a few rounds against someone, he decided that the concrete wall that his parents had put in the backyard would suffice for now. Not showing up at home after such a long time would uncharacteristic of him. Though he supposed that he was not doing the same thing by avoiding them and going around back. He hoped that they would forgive him though, he just needed to work off some of the tension the day had caused him.

-◊-

Ryoma tried not to shake while in line to get his food. There were several people staring at him as though he was the most pathetic person alive. Of course, there were some who had stared at him in a manner which he did not like. Somehow, he got the feeling that saying he had a boyfriend would not make any difference. Being under the stare of so many people had never effected him this much. After all, he had performed in several matches and they always drew quite the crowd. This was different. The stares varied from person to person, but they were not staring at him in marvel because of how good he was in tennis. No, he did not like most of the stares that he got and had noticed that the one person who had all ready marked as dangerous kept his eyes on him. He wanted to pretend that this was not happening and that they were not looking at him, but that would be impossible.

He got some food, which was supposed to be rice and miso soup, but he wasn't sure what it was. He would not complain though since they had fed him. As long as he was here, he was not going to do anything to upset them and try to keep his nose clean. Of course, that was assuming that no one would bother him while he was there. He took a seat as far away from the person who gave him the creeps as possible. There weren't many choices because of how many people were in the prison. He had never thought that there could be so many people crowded in one place at one time. The person next to him kept looking at him and he twitched. He had this feeling that meal times would not be his favorite time of day. Especially if everyone kept acting as though he was the most beautiful thing they had seen in a long time. He was positive that the three people who had fainted when he entered the room earlier did not do so because of lack of nutrition. If the looks of others were anything to go off of then he could guess that everyone thought of sex when they looked at him.

The thought that other men, aside from Kunimitsu, found him attractive scared him. It had taken him a long time to even come to accept that he was an okay-looking person, and to even think that someone _else_ had liked him as well was even harder. That perhaps was the hardest part in his life. He sighed and took a bite of his food. After fifteen minutes, they were told to line up with their dishes so that they could wash them. Everyone did so at once. He waited for his turn and noted that several snickers could be heard behind him. There was a harsh bark that told them all to be silent and everything was silent once more. The line moved forward and the person behind him bumped into him. However, they lingered far too long for him to be comfortable with and he made sure to move away from them with haste. He had a feeling that him and prison were not going to get along well, in spite of his good intentions.

-◊-

After hitting several balls against the wall in his frustration, he had felt far better. Tennis was not only his favorite sport; it was also therapeutic and gave him a great way to sort out his thoughts. He did not know how long it had been since he had started doing so either. He was panting heavily but that was to be expected since he just took out two days worth of frustration on those poor tennis balls. They looked far more worn than they should for being brand new. He made a mental note to go purchase some more balls. He went inside to take a shower and to see if dinner was done. He entered the house and noted that it was oddly quiet. His family had seated themselves near the back door, which surprised him. They usually preferred the living room.

"Did you release all of your tension?" his mother asked in a soft voice. Tezuka sighed. He would never be able to hit balls without restraint without them knowing that there was something wrong. He did not care though considering he had worked out everything at this point. He simply nodded at the question.

"I'm going upstairs to clean up," he said. He knew that they wanted to know the cause for his tension, but he also knew that they would respect his privacy as well.

-◊-

Ryoma did not like to contact that had happened in the cafeteria and being in the laundry room was unbearable. He noted that there were times when the guards would look away and the other prisoners would quickly look at him. One had even tried to make an advance on him, but it was stopped when one of the guards caught the other person and told them to continue doing their laundry. Since he had been there for less than four hours, he did not have anything to wash. However, he was issued a uniform along with everyone else and was forced to change in front of all the people there. As he was changing, he could feel the stares of the people around him and wanted to run away. He stood near the guards, waiting to go back to the prison cells. No one else was near enough to him to set off the various alarms in his mind. He wanted this to be over with so he could go back to his cell and let the bars separate him from the rest of the prisoners. Once again, he noticed that the guards had looked away and he felt someone tug on his arm, yanking him to behind the machines. No one was able to see them because of the small wall. A hand cover his mouth to prevent him from screaming, but he still struggled. The person had a strong grip and he hated feeling weak.

"If you keep quiet, I won't do anything too bad this time around," the person whispered in his ear. Ryoma looked at the face of the person and noted that it was the inmate who had been staring at him since he had arrived. His dark eyes made Ryoma shiver; he knew that this would not end well if he didn't get out of there quickly. The hand moved from his mouth and he was torn between screaming his head off and yelling profanities.

"Let me go," he growled.

"No, I think that I'm going to have fun with you first." The person leaned in and kissed him on his open mouth. He felt a tongue invade his mouth and he bit, hard. The assailant didn't react and pretended like that had never happen. He could feel the body press far too close for comfort and he did the only thing he knew would be effective. Ryoma kicked him in the crouch and made a beeline for the guards.

-◊-

Tezuka stared at the homework in front of him. After his shower and dinner, he had decided to get his homework done for tomorrow. However, he found that he could not think properly since he was concerned about Ryoma and Atobe's offer. Every time he thought about it, he got angry all over again. Like hell he would abandon his boyfriend.

_You would never be able to forgive yourself if you did such a stupid thing. Stop thinking about Atobe and his offer, they're useless._

He sighed and continued to try and work on the math problems in front of him.

-◊-

Ryoma was surprised when they were told they could call one person for five minutes and talk. He had been torn as to who to call, his family or Kunimitsu. He felt confident that his boyfriend would relay all messages to his family, but he did not feel certain that his dad would do the same. He stood in line and ignored the other conversations, he didn't care because they didn't concern him and he was too worried about what to say anyway. His heart started to pound as he got nearer to the front of the line. The thought of other people being able to listen in on his conversation made him really nervous, but he could not do anything about it. He had wanted to talk to his family, maybe give them some reassurance that he was alive and doing fine. However, he did not know if he could lie to them about the conditions. The person in front of him hung up the phone, indicating that it was his turn. He dialed the first number that came to mind, Kunimitsu's cell.

"Moshi moshi," came his boyfriend's voice.

"Kunimitsu," he breathed. He had missed the reassurance his boyfriend had brought when talking. Though many found Kunimitsu's tone harsh, he found it gentle and calming.

"Ryoma? Are you all right? How is everything on your end? Are you doing okay?"

He chuckled. "I'm doing all right," he said. At the memory of what happened in the laundry room he shuddered. "There are a few people here who aren't friendly, but that's to be expected."

"They haven't tried anything, have they?"

-◊-

Tezuka berated himself for asking such a question. Damn Atobe for planting the idea that someone would touch his boyfriend in his mind. He waited for the reply on Ryoma's end before saying anything else. He heard a weak laugh on the other end of the phone.

"What gave you that idea, Kunimitsu?" his boyfriend asked.

He suddenly began to feel uneasy. Ryoma was always prone to dance around the question if he didn't want to answer it. He sighed. "Nothing, but I would like an answer."

"Don't worry, I'm doing fine on my own. I'm sure you and oyaji and kaa-san are working to get me out of here, right?"

"We're going to try, but Atobe implied that it wouldn't be easy."

He heard a shaky breath on the other end. "Oh, what else did Monkey King say?"

"He said that he wants to offer help."

"Che, he'll probably help out whether you refuse his offer or not. Anyway, I have to go, bye Kunimitsu."

"Everything will be all right, okay?"

"Ja ne," Ryoma said. Tezuka heard the line go dead and he shut his phone. Ryoma had seemed incredibly nervous on the phone and that worried him.

_What is he trying to hide?_

_To be continued…_

---

Notes: According to my research (not sure how accurate this is), Japan prisoners usually only get to send one letter every seven days. For purposes of this story, it's a five-minute phone call a day.


	5. Chapter Five: End

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis**

Lady Monozuki: Agh, I am so sorry for the late update. It's really long over-due. I've struggled so much with my writing these past couple of weeks and whether or not I should continue with any of my stories here. I shall, press on for now, but it's still a struggle. Thank you to everyone who has read, favorite, and reviewed this fic! It really means so much to me and I cannot thank you enough. Arigato! This is the last chapter in Trial. Don't worry, there will be a sequel! Hope you continue to read!

_Chapter Five: End_

Ryoma woke up to a very loud alarm blaring through the building. His body protested, telling him it was far too early to be awake. However, upon remembering his current situation, he jolted awake and went toward the front of the cell. The lights in the prison went from dull to full power, nearly blinding him. He stifled a yawn and waited for what was going to happen next. The doors were opened and one by one they filed out to head to god-knows-where. Everyone in front of him started to move so he did as well. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered what time it was because it felt as though he had just gone to sleep over an hour ago. Of course, he probably had considering he was unable to sleep due to the fact that he was certain there were live bugs on the mattress on the ground. Not to mention that the cell smelt as though someone had urinated in there for because they were not released to the bathroom. He shuddered when he thought about the bathrooms. The guards had followed them everywhere and to have everyone stare at you while you were trying to relieve yourself was very unnerving. He sighed. So far, prison had been everything had had imagined and worse.

He wanted to get out of here but doubted that he would any time soon. After all, he still did not know what he had even done as a crime and he doubted that the guards would tell him that information seeing as how they were as stoic as everyone perceived his boyfriend to be. They headed for the cafeteria, another place that he was beginning to dread. He had found out that the prison was divided up into sections and that during meals, all of the sections ate together. He hated people crowding around him and liked to eat in peace. It was a shame that he wouldn't get any because of the prison. He sighed and got his food. He noted that it was rice and miso soup again. He would not complain since it was better than nothing and he like Japanese meals anyway. He sat down at the least occupied table he could find. The person who had kissed him in the laundry room yesterday was eyeing him again and he busied himself with his food to try and get the imagery out of his mind. The food was gone far too soon for his liking, but it wouldn't matter since they would be told to line up so that they could wash the dishes soon.

-◊-

Tezuka stared at the Regulars in the tennis club and could tell that they were all out of their game. No matter how hard they tried, they were making mistakes that he had not seen in quite some time. This was really concerning to him since they had practice matches against Hyotei lined up for the afternoon. He had been dismayed when he found out that Ryuuzaki-sensei had arranged that for them. No doubt that Atobe would take that as another opportunity to try and talk to him about the offer he had made last night. Honestly, there were some times where he wished that the diva understood the meaning of the word "no". A sigh escaped his lips. With how badly everyone was performing, there was no need to carry on with the morning practice. He called everyone in so that they could be dismissed.

He went to the clubroom to change back into his school uniform and attend classes for the day. He hoped that Ryoma was doing all right and hoped that he would get another call from his boyfriend.

-◊-

Ryoma had learned that he had missed the chores yesterday because of what time he had arrived in prison. Today they had to clean the bathroom, kitchen, and cafeteria. He found that this had given everyone who had looked at him with odd glances the perfect opportunity to run into him and feel him up before saying that they were sorry. He had been surprised at first and tried to fight it off, but the one who attacked him reminded him of the guards and how bad it would be for them to get caught. He still struggled, but did not make any noise. He had been successful in fighting off several of them. However, he still felt like he needed a shower…or something else to purify him from being touched in such a manner. If the guards had not been there, he could only imagine how much worse it would have been. He shuddered and went back to cleaning. There were far too many people there to avoid.

The person who had assaulted him yesterday moved in on him and she shuddered. He started to move away out of instinct. There was very little he could do to avoid them since the place was too crowded and did not allow him a way to protect himself. He gritted his teeth and wanted to yell at the man to stay away, but that would cause far too much trouble and he did not want to do anything to attract trouble his way. He had told himself that he could bear with it until they got back to their cells. However, he wasn't sure that he could. His mind had already prepared for the onslaught when the guard had told them to line up. He had never been so thankful in his life. They would be going back to their respective "homes" and that made him feel extremely happy. Most people would enjoy the time outside, but he did not because of what had happened to him over the past two days. He hoped that Kunimitsu never found out about this.

-◊-

Tezuka stared at the diva, trying to silently ask the diva as to the reason he had been called away from the practice matches. Atobe had insisted that he go with him, but had so far failed to see the reason as to why. Whatever needed to be discussed could be done in front of the club members, which only furthered irritated him.

"Ore-sama wanted to show you some pictures to show you how well your boyfriend is doing in prison. And because of my magnificent insight, Ore-sama figured that you have not told the rest of the Regulars about your relationship with the brat."

_Well, Fuji knows. Of course, he seems to be far more aware of that than other people._

The diva threw down several photos of Ryoma. Tezuka felt his heart drop when he saw them. His eyes widened and he snatched them off the table,_ this_ couldn't be true, could it? He flipped through each one, scrutinizing them all and trying to find _something_ that would prove to him that they were doctored in some way. He swallowed.

"How did you get these?" he asked. He tried to keep his voice firm and steady. It would not do him any good to lose control now.

"Ore-sama never reveals his secrets," Atobe said smugly. Tezuka once again probed through the shots, trying to find something wrong with them. The images of Ryoma being kissed by some unknown person would forever be burned into his mind. He had to get his boyfriend out of there before something worse happened. While he knew that Ryoma's parents were working hard to try and figure out how to get their son out of jail, they could not get him out fast enough. It had only been a _day_ and this had already taken place.

_No wonder he seemed to be hiding something on the phone. He didn't want me to find out about this. He didn't want me to worry. _

He looked at Atobe and stared for a moment. The diva could get Ryoma out, on one condition. He could not even believe that he was considering the offer. However, he wanted to help his boyfriend. Tezuka stood.

"I appreciate you showing me these photos," he said. "However, I fail to see the reason as to why."

"My offer still stands, Tezuka. I can help get your boyfriend out of these and save him from something much worse than _kissing_."

Tezuka twitched slightly. He didn't want to think that something else would happen. He would have to wait for the phone call tonight so that he could ask Ryoma if any of this was true.

_That is, if he calls me tonight._

-◊-

Ryoma stood in line once more, waiting for his turn to use the phone. He once again mentally debated over who to call and figured that he really shouldn't waste his time and effort. He knew that he was going to call Kunimitsu anyway and therefore shouldn't really be having such a debate. Of course, he knew that his parents would want to hear from him at some point. It was just that he would rather talk to his mother because he knew that his father would make everything worse. He frowned. Thinking about his father's childish antics made his even more irritated. After dealing with a bunch of perverts and trying to keep their hands from grabbing him every moment that the guards were not looking. The line moved and he stepped forward, his turn would be next.

The person behind him had taken a step forward and bumped into him, almost knocking him off-balance. He scowled when he found that hands had wrapped around his waist. Ryoma stared back at the person.

"Thank you," he said in a cold tone, "but I could have done that myself."

He pried the hands that were still on his waist off and continued to wait. The guards who were watching the phone apparently did not notice what had just taken place, because he knew that they would have put an end to it sooner. Ryoma could not wait to get out of here. He sighed.

_If I ever do get out of here._

The person in front of him hung up and he moved forward, happy to be away from the person behind him for once. He did not like people touching him unnecessarily. He picked up the phone and dialed Kunimitsu's number without thinking. The phone rang twice before being picked up by his boyfriend.

"Moshi moshi," his boyfriend said.

"Kunimitsu, how are you this evening?" he asked. He did not need to say his name; he knew that his boyfriend had probably been waiting for the call all day.

-◊-

Tezuka froze when he heard the voice on the other end. He had been expecting Ryoma to call, but he didn't know whether or not he had wanted for him to call so soon. He swallowed and tried to find his voice.

"Ryoma," he said. "I'm doing good. How are you holding up?"

He would find some way to get the truth from Ryoma. Ever since his encounter with Atobe this afternoon, his mind had been unable to get the pictures out of his mind. He _had_ to know the truth.

"F-Fine," came his boyfriend's reply. He frowned. Now, he was even more skeptical.

"There's something wrong, Ryoma. Why won't you tell me what is going on over there?"

"Because I don't want you to worry about me," his boyfriend replied. "I'll be fine, don't worry about me."

"Ryoma," he said. "Are you being harassed in the prison?"

-◊-

Ryoma almost dropped the phone. He had tried to avoid the topic, but his boyfriend always seemed to know what was going on. He tried to think of a way to direct the conversation away from what he did not want to talk about. The memories of being kissed and groped assaulted his mind. He shuddered. There was no way that he could avoid the topic forever. He would have to talk to Kunimitsu about this sooner or later.

"You sound as if you already know," he said. He struggled to say the next words because it hurt him to voice them out load. "But it's true."

-◊-

Even though he had figured that everything was true, that still did not make hearing the words any easier. He wanted to yell at Ryoma for allowing it to even happen, but knew that his boyfriend could not control everything that happened there. He was panicking to say the least and he _never_ acted this way. He wanted to get Ryoma out of there so that nothing else happened to him. The only way he could think of doing that was through Atobe's offer.

"Ryoma," he said.

"Yes?"

He took in a deep breath.

_This is for Ryoma's sake. He will be better off once he is out of there and he won't have to deal with this._

"I-I want to break up."

_~End~_


End file.
